Does '07 Mark the End of an eBay Era?

There's been a lot of brain drain at eBay over the last couple years, with 2006 being no exception. The company's best and brightest, whether from the trenches or the top, have been leaving in droves. My sources tell me that turmoil reigns within the walls of eBay. Numerous restructurings combined with a mass exodus have left the employees battle worn.

Meg herself is one of the few eBay veterans to remain at the company, but one has to wonder for how long? The company seems to be making its transition from a large growth company to a slow growth company. This may be the year Meg decides to call it quits and move on to greener pastures. She's already had many of her top brass do the same.

While eBay still represents a huge marketplace, it seems clear that new market forces are at work. Google's AdWords program allows "Power Sellers" to take their business off eBay, eliminating eBay's fees in exchange for paid search placements that are often cheaper and more effective. Google Checkout poses a serious threat to PayPal's formerly uncontested domain. The verdict on Skype is still out. It's a great service, but can eBay make any real money there?

Another nagging problem for eBay is that its marketplace is just too inconvenient for most shoppers. gumshoo was created on this very basis. It's been a little over a year since the launch of gumshoo and there's still a large need being filled by the service. And let's not forget the effort (and fees) required to sell items on eBay.

2007 looks to be a challenging year for eBay. Let's hope that it brings some exciting innovations that keep the eBay Marketplace vibrant and exciting well into the future.